


Postcards from Far Away

by blowinduck



Category: Rush (2013)
Genre: M/M, Post-Nürburgring, retirement fic, tons of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blowinduck/pseuds/blowinduck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My entry to The Rush Advent Calendar</p>
            </blockquote>





	Postcards from Far Away

James opened his eyes and stirred lazily on the bed when some beams of Italian sun hit his face. He supposed it was almost noon but that fact didn’t stop him from closing his eyes again.

He was in the middle of a well deserved summer break between the racing season, his work as commentator for the BBC made him travel at almost the same hectic pace as he had while being a racing driver, and, even though the first lacked the parties, it was as exhausting. 

Let’s face it; he wasn’t in his mid-twenties anymore.

He buried his face in the pillow contentedly, a smile on his face while he remembered old times and reached for the warm body that was lying beside him, but had to open his eyes again because his hand fell on soft sheets and an empty space.

“Niki," James called out but no one replied.

James cursed under his breath as he got up and searched for something to wear.

For all the years spent living with that man, James would never understand how Niki always got up early.

He went in search of his partner until he found the access to the terrace open and went through it, finding a very thoughtful Niki Lauda admiring the view with his back to the door and a bowl full of yoghurt in his hands.

He couldn’t help smile to that.

“I’m seriously debating myself between feeling worried and jealous at the fact that you always leave my bed early to go eat yoghurt” James teased Niki, holding the Austrian from the back and giving him a quick kiss on his temple.

“You just realised that? Bit late, don’t you think?” Niki replied, eating one final spoonful of yoghurt and turning to face James with a knowing smile on his face. “I never thought you were that dense.”

James smiled. Time may have passed but Niki was as annoying as ever.

“That’s your way of greeting people? Tsk tsk, Mister Lauda, you are way too old to be that rude”

Niki snorted. “You are too old as well yet you have never stopped being an asshole”

“You wouldn’t be here if I were any different” James remarked cheekily.

“Don’t flatter yourself too much, jerk” Niki replied and poked James on the side to free himself, going to sit in one of the chairs outside the glass doors.

“What were you doing apart from cheating on me with that horrible creamy thing?” James asked Niki as he sat in a chair on the opposite side of the little garden table.

“I was going through the post we’ve been ignoring and arraigning some things for the next half of the season,” Niki replied, already concentrated on his work. “Unlike some, I use my mornings to get stuff done”

"Well, I would use my mornings to  _do you_ , but you are already up away somewhere most of the times- Oi!” James complained, rubbing the spot where Niki had just kicked him.

"You had it coming, asshole" Niki replied, already immersed on reading through a sort of report.

James ignored Niki’s comment, his eyes going through the open post and some sheets lying messily upon the table, a newspaper clipping catching his attention. Curious, James picked up the clipping and read the headline:

****

  
**_GAY CIVIL PARTNERSHIP APPROVED BY ENGLISH PARLIAMENT_ **

 

“Have you read this, Niki?” James asked, putting down the note so both men could read it at the same time.

“Yes, I have.” Niki replied shortly, but didn’t reassume his reading.

“Hmm. Times are certainly changing, love.” James said, turning to look at Niki as soon as he finished reading the note. “Don’t know about you, but this kind of things make me feel old.”

“A lot of time has passed since our racing days," Niki said, ignoring James joke. “A lot of things have happened to us in all this time,”

“Why suddenly so serious, Niki?” James said, teasingly, but his smile faltered when Niki didn’t utter a comeback or insulted him, keeping his blue eyes fixed on him. “Niki…?”

Something shifted in Niki’s eyes at the sound of his name on James’ voice.

“Let’s marry, James”

“…pardon?”

“You heard me well, idiot.” Niki said, as if they had just been discussing the weather. “ _Marry me_.”

For the first time in years, James found himself speechless.

Niki noticed this, a smile appearing on his face. “I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time. It’s the most obvious thing to do, now that we can, to do  _this_  properly.”

“…didn’t take you for the marring type.” James said, his voice sounding a bit far away, the proposal just sinking in.

“I’m not,” Niki replied, “but I’ll do it because  _it’s you_.”

Without thinking it twice, James stood, went around the table, raised Niki to his feet and began covering him with kisses.

To be fair, he hadn’t thought of himself as marring material either, but he couldn’t help the sudden surge of illogical happiness that burst inside him, making a rather silly grin appear on his face.

“Is that a ‘yes’ or are you just trying to shut me up?” Niki said between kisses, making a miserable attempt to stay cool at James’ advance.

“Both” James replied, focusing now on the Austrian’s lips. “What about you leave the post reading for later so you can help me get some stuff done on this fine morning?”

Niki’s chuckle slipped between James’ open lips, “You haven’t changed in some things, James."

James gave Niki a last kiss before putting a bit of distance so he could see Niki better. He might be older, with soft wrinkles covering scars, white receding hair between his fingers where there once were soft, brown curls; but he could recognize that wide smile, never failing to make his overbite adorable, those impossibly clever blue eyes with that twinkle that sparks from time to time (he believes only for him)… deep inside that aging body he could still see the little bastard he met on F3 and got to love. The person he would always love.

“You love me because of that, as I will always do you”

“I know.” Niki replied, “So will I, too”

 

_[Some things done later…]_

“By the way, Niki, where did you get that clipping?” James asked, stretching himself on the bed, a content smile on his lips. “Don’t tell me you have a scrapbook somewhere full of random newspaper clippings.”

“Oh no,” Niki replied, matter-of-factly, his fingers tracing patterns on James' skin. “that one came on a letter from Marlene”

“Ah"


End file.
